Father moves SC against Jamia Hafsa for daughter’s recovery

ISLAMABAD: A father on Monday filed a petition in the Supreme Court against Jamia Hafsa for the recovery of his daughter, who he says is being forcefully kept by the administration of the seminary.

According to details, father, Sheikh Muhammad Qayyum has stated in the petition that the Lal Masjid linked Jamia Hafsa was forcefully keeping his daughter, Uzma Qayyum.

He said one day his daughter went to visit Jamia Bint-e-Aisha seminary but never returned and upon asking the administration he was told that Uzma had gone back home.

“Later, I came to know that the principal of Jamia Hafsa, Umm-e-Hassan, had taken Uzma to her seminary”, Qayyum claimed.

Qayyum further said he along with his wife and two other women had gone to see Uzma in Jamia Hafsa but the administration didn’t allow his daughter to leave the seminary and go back home with the parents.

Uzma’s father told Geo News that guards of Jamia Hafsa had also brutally tortured his nephew Waleed who had shown up for seeking Uzma’s return.

“I have knocked every door and even contacted Moulana Taqi Usmani and other religions clerics but all of them said Jamia Hafsa administration doesn’t listen to them”, Mr. Qayyum added.

However, principle of the Jamia Hafsa, Umm-e-Hassan has rejected Qayyum’s allegations, saying his daughter Uzma was willingly staying in the seminary to get education.

It is pertinent to note here that the civil society has been staging a protest against Moulana Abdul Aziz outside Lal Masjid and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain had also accused the Jamia Hafsa seminary and Abdul Aziz of forcefully keeping children in the seminary.

A civil judge Saqib Jawad had also issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Lal Masjid cleric Moulana Abdul Aziz while hearing a case filed by members of civil society.

Urban Sindh’s major political power, MQM, had also lodged an FIR against Moulana Abdul Aziz for allegedly threatening the party chief Altaf Hussain in a video message.